Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अत्र क्षेत्रे स्वरूपेण स्थातव्यं वचनान्मम । पापिनां प्राणिनां चात्र रक्षा कार्या प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | atra kṣetre svarūpeṇa sthātavyaṃ vacanānmama | pāpināṃ prāṇināṃ cātra rakṣā kāryā prayatnataḥ

Translation

ສູຕະກ່າວວ່າ: “ໃນເຂດສັກສິດນີ້ ພວກເຈົ້າຈົ່ງຢູ່ດ້ວຍຮູບອົງອັນແທ້ຂອງຕົນ ຕາມຖ້ອຍຄຳຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ. ແລະໃນທີ່ນີ້ ຈົ່ງພະຍາຍາມປົກປ້ອງສັດທີ່ມີບາບດ້ວຍ.”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्वरूपेण: in (one's) own form
• स्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्थातव्यम्: should remain / must stay
• स्थातव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्); भावे/कर्तरि प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘must be stayed/should stay’

• वचनात्: from the command/word
• वचनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापिनाम्: of sinners
• पापिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• रक्षा: protection
• रक्षा: Karma/Pradhana (Object/Theme of obligation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कार्या: should be done
• कार्या: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be done/should be done’

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort / diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deities/guardians addressed within the narrative; externally Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta, as authoritative narrator, issues a solemn injunction: the divine guardian must remain manifest in the kṣetra and protect even sinful beings; pilgrims appear weary and penitent, sheltered under the kṣetra’s sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Prabhāsakṣetra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is a place of refuge: its guardianship extends compassion and protection even to the fallen who approach it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, described as a protected kṣetra where divine presence is stationed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the instruction is administrative-spiritual: remaining present in the kṣetra and protecting beings.